The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-19
A Sermon,

day School World.
A Sermon.
sunday evening, Nov. 9th, DR.. Frederick
of the Baptist church began series of SER
mons on 1.-THE History, Doctrines and work
of the leading Denominations. The fol.
lowing is the first.
Zone Church, Many Denominations"
Amos iii, 3:-"Can two walk together ex
cept they agree?"
Every few years in the history of the
church there Is an effort after organic uni
ty among the churches. Organic unity Is
the doctrine of the Roman church. Dur
ing the middle ages 1t may be said to have
attained it. If other organized churches
existed they were secret bodies. In later
days the broad church party of England
has advocated the laying aside OF differ.
ences and uniting on essentials, thus be-
coming one organic church. Milman, the
historian, and Kingsley were advocates OF
this.
The differences between denominations
are called non. essentials and these were to
be given up as OF no value and as separat-
ing Christian churches. The doctrine OF
|
from organic unity is sin has been held by
some in every generation. Separate Or
ganlzatiOn has been called heretical, schis-
NAUTICAL
A distinction is to be made between
Christian union and church union. The
first is the oneness of all believers in Christ
is union of the spirit. The second is an
outward union in which all Christians be-
| lnpr <r ha co,n damon ipufiOn
Christian union Is thing most desirable.
As the years come and go Christians get
better understanding Of each other and
hence come into closer fellowship. This
spirit of oneness Is helped also by inter
mingling in societies for the promotion OF
temperance and other Christian work. The
disirableness of uniting all denominations
into one Is very doubtful. Gods blessing
has rested with continual JUNCTION upon the
classification of Christians under different
names and has brought to naught all efforts
at organic union.
|. The classification of Christian de-
nominations agrees with the best methods
of other bodies of men for effective work.
An army to do effectual work must have
classification; the corps the division, the
brigade, the regiment, These classes must
have their officers, their places, their duties.
In their places and duties they must be dis
ciplned to work. The movements of
battle, the success of contest depends
absolutely on the classification and disci-
pline. If the men get out of their places,
the regiments get mixed up, the divisions
do not join one another properly the battle
is lost At Waterloo Napoleon hurled div
ision after division against the center of
Wellington's line, but without effect. Last
of all his own guard undertook the task.
| They moved over the field in face of shot
and she'll and threw themselves upon the
enemy. They to were broken and mixed.
Napoleon, whose fate hung on that battle,
cried out, "They are mingled together"
mounted his horse and left the field de-
feated When troops mlngle the battle is
lost.
| Bull Run was the same. Company was
separated from regiment and regiment
| from brigade. The retreat was of n ingled,
disorganized forces.
What is necessary in the nations army
is necessary in the Lords's army For
effective work there must be classification,
place, duties, discipline. Each church Is
regiment, 1t belongs to a certain division
or association, this division belongs to GER
tain corps or denomination, each denominas.
ton belongs to Christ's army. 1t would be
nearly impossible to combine all In one
church organization and no such victories
could be gained as now. This, however,
Is conditioned on fighting the enemy and
not each other. When Jason was seeking
In Colchis the famous golden fleece one
of his tasks was to SOW the dragons teeth
in the field of Mars. When the teeth were
sown armed warriors sprung up and sought
to put Jason to the sword. Had they con-
tinued this the golden fleece would have
been saved to them, but they soon began
to fight one another and every man was
put to death by his fellow. Paul refers to
this kind of fighting when he says to the
Galatians, vi, Is: IF ye bite and devour
one another take heed that We be not con-
sumed one of another"
| 1t may be a pleasantly to liken the Meth.
odists to cavalry, the Presbyterians TO arlil-
lery, the Baptists to the navy. etc.. yet 1t
shows that there are differences of work
which this classification indicates, that Is
necessary to the success of the Christian
army.
A similar thought is that of division of
labor. In every mandatory each work is
classified, the work Of one Is not that of
another, efficiency without this is impossi-
BILE. Each has his own department, mis-
own work. Division of labor Is as necessary
| In Gods great workshop as in mans. Each
church has work that can only be done
by itself.
Christ said: "The sons of this world
are for their own generation wiser than the
sons of light" Luke XVI, s, but their divis
j lon Of Christians into denominations